Rookie Report Card: Grading all Octagon newcomers UFC Abu Dhabi post-mortem

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JULY 24: Muhammad Saidov throws a punch against Dustin Jacoby in their light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Etihad Arena July 24, 2026 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!

Six rookies stepped into the Octagon yesterday (Sat., July 25, 2026) at UFC Abu Dhabi inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Collectively, the newcomers went 5-1, with a couple of them leaving Abu Dhabi with memorable performances and a few others raising more questions than answers.

Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:

Magomed Zaynukov vs. Damian Rzepecki

There was a ton of hype surrounding Magomed Zaynukov’s UFC debut — a.k.a. “John Pork” — and while it was not a picture-perfect performance, it was still a very solid first impression.

Zaynukov collided with fellow rookie Damian Rzepecki in a battle of undefeated prospects, and it was ultimately Zaynukov who handed “The Butcher” the first professional loss of his career with a dominant unanimous decision.

Rzepecki relentlessly marched forward throughout the fight, but Zaynukov consistently beat him to the punch with sharp counters, front kicks and a vicious assortment of elbows.

Those elbows became the story of the fight in Round 2, as Zaynukov rocked the former FEN champion and opened a nasty cut above his right eye. Rzepecki continued advancing despite his increasingly bloodied face, but Zaynukov repeatedly punished him with elbows and front kicks while shutting down most of his takedown attempts.

Rzepecki’s toughness carried him to the final bell, but Zaynukov’s accuracy, poise and damaging offense earned him a lopsided debut victory.

Look, Zaynukov probably is not going to become a UFC champion, but that does not mean he cannot be useful. He might crack the Top 15 at some point, and even if he does not, he should be fun to watch because of his offensive style.

For his second UFC outing, I would like to see “John Pork” take on Jai Herbert — hopefully when UFC returns to Abu Dhabi in October.

Final grade: B

As for Damian Rzepecki , it was a rough debut, but not a hopeless one.

Yes, he got shut down. Yes, he was bloodied up. And yes, he clearly struggled to deal with Zaynukov’s sharp counters and elbows.

But Rzepecki also showed why he had hype coming into UFC. He is tough, aggressive and willing to walk through fire to make a fight ugly. That style can win fans, even if it did not win him this fight.

The big concern is that his pressure did not come with enough defensive responsibility. Zaynukov was able to time him over and over, and against better UFC competition, that could get ugly fast.

Still, Rzepecki is exciting, durable and should have a fun UFC career if matched properly.

For his second outing, give me Rzepecki vs. Dom Mar Fan .

Final grade: C

Abubakar Vagaev

Abubakar Vagaev got the call to UFC largely because he is teammates with Khamzat Chimaev .

And honestly, I still do not really understand why.

Vagaev grinded out a competitive unanimous decision over Saygid Izagakhmaev in his UFC debut, earning three identical 29-28 scorecards. The former ACA champion immediately imposed his wrestling, repeatedly driving Izagakhmaev into the fence and controlling him on the canvas throughout the opening round.

Izagakhmaev found more success as the fight progressed, landing the cleaner strikes in Round 2 and threatening multiple submissions after taking Vagaev’s back and mounting him late in the third. However, Vagaev’s persistent takedowns, clinch control and physical pressure were enough to sway all three judges.

So, yeah, he won.

But if UFC is all about exciting fights nowadays, why in the hell would it sign someone with 20 decision wins in 25 career fights?

Beats me.

Vagaev feels like he is going to be another boring Russian wrestler who floats around the roster, beats a few prospects, frustrates everyone and eventually gets released because nobody wants to watch him fight.

That might sound harsh, but this debut did very little to change that perception.

I guess he could fight Seok Hyeon Ko , who just lost at UFC Oklahoma City.

Final grade: C-

Muhammad Saidov

One of the biggest bright spots among the UFC Abu Dhabi rookies was Muhammad Said ov, who delivered a sensational debut by overwhelming longtime veteran Dustin Jacoby en route to a second-round technical knockout ( watch highlights ).

And he did not fight scared at all.

The undefeated Russian showed zero fear of Jacoby’s decorated kickboxing background, staggering him with a right hand in the opening round while mixing in creative spinning attacks and powerful kicks.

Saidov turned up the pressure in Round 2, opening a cut near Jacoby’s left eye before hurting him with a body kick and dropping him with a perfectly placed head kick. Jacoby managed to return to his feet, but Saidov swarmed him with a relentless combination of punches and another head kick until the referee stepped in.

That was a statement.

Saidov improved to 10-0 with nine finishes, including seven knockouts, and in an absolutely dire Light Heavyweight division, he is a refreshing addition.

He is powerful. He is crisp. He is dangerous. And most importantly, he is actually fun.

There is obviously still plenty to learn about him, especially defensively and in extended grappling exchanges, but as far as UFC debuts go, this was excellent.

For his second UFC outing, give me Saidov vs. Rodolfo Bellato .

Final grade: A+

Magomed Tuchalov

Magomed Tuchalov was the second-biggest favorite on the card, and he sure did not look like it.

In fact, he lost the first round to Brendson Ribeiro , an opponent he was supposed to squash.

Tuchalov’s UFC debut got off to a painfully slow start, as he offered little beyond low kicks before Ribeiro dropped him with a right hand late in the ...

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →